Thread-controlling mechanism for sewing-machines.



R. G. WOODWARD.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. I906.

Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Svwentor 19% m eases COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON. n. c.

R. G. WO0DWARD. THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. I906.

Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOBRAPH 60., WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. e. WOODWARJD.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. I906.

l,1%5,%3m Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. nnrr onnrbn.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARI); OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO'UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

THREAD-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July c; an.

Application filed October 27, 1906. Serial No. 340,897.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUSSEL G. VVooD- WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waukegan, in the county of Lake, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ThreadControlling Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in thread controlling mechanisms for sewing machines and while said controller may be used in connection with any thread carrying implement the same is more particularly adapted for use in connection with the needle thread of a chain stitch sewing machine.

An object of my invention is to provide a thread controller which is made of few parts which parts are so related asto control the needle thread during all the movements of the needle.

A further object of my invention is to provide a thread controller having devices for pulling thread from the supply upon the downward stroke of the needle.

These and other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part be more fully hereinafter described.

My invention consists in the novel parts, improvements and arrangements shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine having my thread controller applied thereto, the upper portion of the casing being broken away to show the needle lever and the manner of mounting the thread controlling arm thereon. Fig. 2 isan enlarged side elevation of the rear portion of mymachine withthe front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the upper rear portion of the machine. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the thread controlling arm. Fig. 5 is a detached detail perspective of one of the tension devices for my machine. Fig. dis adetail in side elevation showing the looper and a portion of its operating means.

In the drawings, the casing 1 comprises a hollow standard 2 having an overhanging arm 3 and in the base of the casing is mounted a shaft 4. which is operated in the usual manner from the belt wheel 24. Within the casing l is pivotally supported a needle lever 5 on the pivoted stud 6 carried by screw 20.

the said casing. Said needle lever is oscillated from the main shaft 1 by means of a link 7 which engages an eccentric 8 on the main shaft at one end and is pivotally connected to a pivot bolt 9 on the needle lever at its other end. Said needle lever is provid'ed with the usual needle lever extension 10 to which is pivotally connected a link 11 which operates the looper ofmy machine. At the forward end of the casing 1 is the needle head in which reciprocates the needle bar26. Said needle bar 26 is operatively connected to the needle lever 25 by means of a link 27. The needle bar is provided with the usual needle 28 and carries at its upper end a thread guide29. The

presser foot 30 and the work support 31 are of the usual construction and will not need further description at this time.

Cooperating with the needle 28 is a thread carrying looper 28 which is of the usual character. This looper is pivoted at 28 to a looper support 28 which is oscillated by an eccentric on the main shaft 4:. The looper is moved back and forth on its support by the link 11 above referred to.

At the rear and upper end of the casing 1 I have provided a bracket 12 on which is mounted my improved tension device 13.

Adjacent to the tension device 13 is a thread gral with said arm and passing through said sleeve 18 and also the arm is a thread finger 19 which is secured to the sleeve by a The needle thread 14:. passes through a thread guide 32 011 the bracket 12, then around the tension 13 and under the thread finger 19, then over the thread guide 15 onthe bracket 12. The thread is led from the guide 15 to the guide 29 on the needle bar and thence down over the forward portion of themachine to the eye of the needle.

My tension device is formed by two tension disks 34 and 35 which have a bore through their center. Said disks are carried by a post 36 which is also smooth and of slightly less diameter than the bore through the tension disks so that said tension disks .40 slides over thesleeve 38 and bears at one endupon the flanged head of said sleeve, whlle the other end of said coil spring bears against the outer tension disk. The extreme outer end of the post 36 is still further reduced split longitudinally and threaded for the thumb nut 41, the object of splitting the post being to retainthe thumb nut under tensionand to prevent the same from accidentally turning. v NVhen it is desired to adjust the tension on the disks 34L and 35 the thumb nut is turned so as to move the same down the threaded post.

The thread 42 for the looper passes through a. thread guide 43 upon the bracket 12 at the rear of-the machine, thence through the tension device 22 to the thread guide 23 at the lower end of the needle lever extension and then on to the thread controlling mechanism for the looper.

It will be noted as shownin Fig. l'that the needle bar moves from a position considerably above a horizontal line passing over the thread guide at the rear of the machine to a point considerably below said line. 'It will also be noted that the thread guide29 on the needle bar is spaced at a. considerable distance from the thread guide 15 which is located at the rear of the machine andthat the thread running from the thread guide 15 to the thread guide 29 is free from engagement with any thread guides or controllers so that as the needle bar descends the portion of the threadeX- tending between these guides swings about the guide 16 as an axis. 1

Owing to the distance between the thread guide 15 and the thread guide 29, the path of movement of the thread guide 29 as the needle bar reciprocates is substantially coincident with the arc of a circle passing through the thread guide when the needle itself is at its extreme upper position and having the thread guide 15 as a center. The result of this relation of the parts and the movement of the needle bar above and below the horizontal line referred to is that as the needle bar moves downward, substantially no thread will be pulled over the thread guide 15 by the movement of the needle bar. Following the operation of the machine and starting with the needle at the upper end of its stroke, the needle 1 thread is at this time taut as the needle bar pulls thread from the supply just as it reaches the upper end of its stroke. As the needle bar moves downward the slack which would be caused between the eye of the needle and the material as the said eye approaches the material is taken up by the feeding of the material which is just finishing at this time. Inasmuch as the thread guide 29 is substantially at the same distance from the thread guide 15 during its downward movement, practically no thread is drawn over the thread guide during the downward movement of said needle. As soon as the eye of the needle passes into the material, thread must be given up to the movement of the needle as the needle thread is now. doubled upon itself forming the needle thread loop. The point of the needle is however, now well down into the looper thread loop and the previously formed needle loop which was held by the looper, is cast 011' and the movement of the needle eyebeneath the fabric draws up. the previously formed needle loop close to the 1111- der side of the fabric. When the needle begins its downward movement the thread substantially during the entire downward movement of the needle, the backward pull. of the needle thread caused by the forward movement of the thread finger 19 is substantially balanced and therefore thread is drawn through the tension device 13 from the supply and practically the entire forward movement of the thread finger 19 may be utilized in drawing thread from the supply. There is however, a slight backward movement of the needle thread caused by the pulling of the thread arm 19 just as the needle reaches the lower end of its stroke which aids the needle in drawing the needle loop of the previously formed stitch well up against the under surface of the work where it is out of the way of the movements of the needle and looper. As the needle begins to ascend the thread finger 19 immediately begins to give up slack thread and the needle throws out its loop for the entrance of the looper. After the beak of the looper has entered the needle loop the needle thread is then held by the looper and the needle eye slides upward on the needle thread out of the fabric. The needle thread however, being held by the looper the thread guide on the upper end of the needle bar draws the slack given up by the thread finger 19 over the thread guide 15. .As soon as the needle point is raised above the upper sur face of the fabric, the feed of the material takes place which also draws on the supply given up by the thread finger and just prior to the time in which the needle bar reaches the upper end of its stroke, the slack is all taken up and the thread is drawn taut around the looper by the pull of the thread guide 29 and the feed of the fabric and this strain on the needle thread is suflicient to draw the previous stitch tight and also to til pull a little thread through the tension device from the supply. It will be seen therefore, that by my improved thread control ling mechanism no thread'is drawn from the supply or over the thread guide 15 by the needle or needle bar in the downward move ment thereof but that the same is held sub stantially taut during said entire downward movement and that as the needle reaches the extreme of its downward movement, the previous needle loop is cast from the looper and drawn up closely against the under side of the fabric, and that during this movement of the needle bar, thread is drawn from the supply by the thread finger 19; While on the upward movement of the needle bar slack is given to the needle in order that a proper loop may be formed, that the feed of the fabric may take place and that the needle may reach substantially the upper end of its stroke before the final pull on the thread is given to set the previous stitch and to draw a thread from the supply.

It will be seen that my thread controlling mechanism includes not only the thread arm or pull off member 16, but also the thread guide on the needle bar. The parts of the thread controlling devices in front of the thread guide 15 hold the thread taut and balance the pull of the pull off member so that thread is pulled from the supply on the downward stroke of the needle and the parts of the thread controlling device in front of the guide 15 operate upon the upward stroke of the needle to draw the slack produced by the thread arm 16, also to aid in setting the stitch and pull a little thread from the supply. By arranging my pull of? arm 16 so as to pull thread from the supply on the downward movement of the needle when the needle thread may be held taut without interfering with the formation of. the stitch I am able to do away with thread clamps or the like which are necessary when the pull off operates on the upward stroke of the needle to preventdrawing upon the needle thread and disturbing the formation of the stitch.

it will be obvious that many changes may he made in. the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus particularly described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a work support, a standard, an overhanging arm carried by said standard, a needle bar reciprocating in said arm, a needle carried by said needle bar, a loo-per, means for moving said looper into and out of the needle loops for forming stitches, a thread guide carried by said needle bar, a thread guide carried by the overhanging arm directly over said standard said overhanging arm being free from thread-engaging devices between said guide thereon and the guide on said needle bar, a tension. device between the supply and the thread guide on the overhanging arm, and a device operating on the needle thread between the tension device and the thread guide on the overhanging arm to retain said thread substantially taut between the thread guide on the overhanging arm and the needle during the downward movement of: said needle, and to simultaneously pull thread through the tension while the needle is moving downwardly.

2. The combination of a work support, a standard, an overhanging arm carried by said standard, a needle bar reciprocating in said arm, a needle carried by said neeble bar, a looper, means for moving said looper into and out of the needle loops for forming stitches, a thread guide carried by said needle bar, a thread guide carried by the overhanging arm directly over said standard, said overhanging arm being free from thread-engaging devices between said guide thereon and the guide on said needle bar, a tension device between the supply and the thread guide on the overhanging .arm, and a device operating on the needle thread between the tension device and the thread guide on the overhanging arm to retain said thread substantially taut between the thread guide on the overhanging arm and the dle during the downward movement of said needle, and to simultaneously pull thread through the tension while the needle is moving downwardly, said needle guide on the needle bar being so disposed relative to the thread guide on the overhanging arm, and the, movement of the pull-oii' device so timed with the needle bar that the thread is pulled off by said needle bar as the needle reaches the upward end of its stroke.

3. A combination 01 a work support, a

standard, an overhanging arm carried by said standard, a needle bar reciprocating in said arm, a needle carried by said needle bar, a thread carrying looper, means for re ciprocating said thread carrying looper into said needle loop for vForming chain stitches,

a thread guide carried by the said needle bar, a thread guide carried by the overhanging arm directly over said standard, said overhanging arm between the thread guide th ereon and the thread guide on the needle bar bein free from thread-enga ging devices, said thread guide on the overhanging arm being so disposed relative to the thread guide on the needle bar, that said needle thread is substantially taut between the thread guide on the overhanging arm and the needle duringthe downward movement of the needle, a tension device between the supply and thread guide on the overhanging arm and a pull-off operating on the needle thread be tween the tension device and thread guide on the overhanging arm for pulling thread through the tension while the needle is moving downward.

4. The combination with stitch forming mechanism of a thread controlling device including two movable thread carrying devices and a stationary thread guide intermediate the same, a tension device, one of the said movable thread carrying devices being located between said tension device and said stationary thread guide, and di rectly underneath the said thread guide in one of its extreme positions of movement; substantially as described.

5. The combination with stitch forming mechanism comprising a needle and means for operating the same, a tension device, of a thread controlling device including a movable member pulling off thread from the supply through said tension device on .the downward stroke of the needle, a movable thread guide and a stationary thread guide located between the movable thread guide and the movable member, and also located in a horizontal plane passing between the eX- tremes of movement of the movable thread guide; substantially as described.

6. In a chain stitch sewing machine having stitch forming mechanism including a needle and means for operating the same, a tension device, a movable thread carrying member operating to draw thread from the supply through said tension device when the needle is going down, a stationary thread guide located above said thread carrying member and a second thread carrying member spaced at considerable distance from said stationary thread guide and reciprocating in a straight line; substantially as described.

7. The combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a needle, a needle bar, and means for operating the needle bar, of a tension device, a thread-controlling device comprising a pull-0E member for pulling thread from the supply as the needle bar and needle are on their downward stroke, said pull-off member being located between the tension device and the needle, a thread guide carried by the upper end of said needle bar, and a stationary thread guide located between the pull-0d and the needle bar and located in a horizontal line cutting the path of travel of the thread guide on the needle bar, whereby there is little or no movement of said thread across the stationary thread guide during the first part of the upward movement of the'needle bar, and a free movement of said thread across said guide during the remainder of the upward movement of said needle bar.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 8. The combination with stitch forming mechanism including a needle and a needle bar and means for operating the same, a tension device, of a thread controlling device including a thread guide carried by said needle bar and a stationary thread guide spaced at considerable distance from the needle bar and in a horizontal plane intersecting the path of movement of the thread guide carried by the needle bar and means intermediate the stationary thread guide and supply for pulling thread through said tension device from the supply; substantially as described.

9. The combination with stitch forming mechanism including a needle and a needle bar, a needle lever, means for connecting said needle lever to said needle bar and means for operating said needle lever, an arm rigidly secured to said needle lever, a sleeve formed integrally with the upper end of said arm and a thread finger passing through said sleeve and secured thereto, and means cooperating with said thread finger and controlling the needle thread; substantially as described.

10. A sewing machine including in combination, a needle, a needle bar, means for operating the same, and athread-controlling mechanism comprising a thread guide carried by the upper end of said needle bar, and a stationary thread guide so disposed relative to the guide on the needle bar that there is no movement of the thread over said guides during the downward movement of the needle bar and said thread is substantially taut between said guides, and a pulloff located between the stationary thread guide and the supply, for pulling off thread during the said downward movement of the needle bar.

11. A sewing machine, including in combination, an overhanging arm, a needle, a needle bar, means for operating the same, and a thread-controlling mechanism com prising a thread guide carried by the upper end of said needle bar, and a stationary thread guide mounted at the rear end of said overhanging arm, the thread being free between said guides whereby on the downward movement of the movable guide, the thread may swing about the stationary guide as a center, and a pull-ofi' located between the stationary thread guide and the supply for pulling oii thread during the said down ward movement of the needle bar.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL G. VVOODWARD.

WVitnesses CHESTER MGNEIL, R. TAU'BERT.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

